Bannana plant named &#34;CQB 114&#34;

ABSTRACT

‘CQB 114’ is a hybrid banana variety that has high provitamin A cartenoid content, has resistance to black Sigatoka, and produces very sweet fruit that can be eaten fresh or used in desserts.

GENUS AND SPECIES

The variety of this invention is botanically identified as Musaacuminata×balbisiana group AAB, AA representing two genomes of M.acuminata and B representing one genome of M balbisiana.

VARIETY DENOMINATION

The variety denomination is ‘CQB 114’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a new and distinctive hybrid banana varietydesignated as ‘CQB 114’. The new hybrid variety was the result of afield cross performed at Fundacion Hondurena de Investigacion Agricola(FHIA) in 2005 in La Lima, Cortes, Honduras between SH-4001×Pisang Mas(both unpatented). SH-4001 is a tetraploid French plantain (AAAB) withhigh content of provitamin A carotenoids (pVAC) from the FHIA germplasmcollection. The male parent, Pisang Mas is a naturally occurring diploid(AA). Pisang Mas produces small bunches and very sweet-flavored fingers,which are eaten fresh or used as dessert and are sweeter than the commonCavendish banana.

‘CQB 114’ was selected in 2008 from several first-generation seedlingsfrom the cross between SH-4001×Pisang Mas. It was selected as a triploidhybrid that maintained the productivity, high content of pVAC, and blackSigatoka leaf spot disease-resistance of its SH-4001 female parentalline and produced the very sweet-flavored fruit of the male parentalvariety Pisang Mas.

‘CQB 114’ was asexually reproduced by corms by the inventor in theCentro Experimental Demostrativo, the experimental farm of FHIA in LaLima, Cortes, Honduras. All plant and fruit characteristics run true tothe original selected plant and are identical in all aspects.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF VARIETY DESCRIPTION

‘CQB 114’ is a hybrid banana variety that has high provitamin Acartenoid content, has resistance to black Sigatoka leaf spot disease,and produces-sweet-flavored fruit that can be eaten fresh or used indesserts; or eaten green when cooked.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The Figures depict various characteristics of the ‘CQB 114’ hybridbanana variety. The colors shown in the photographs are as nearly trueas is reasonably possible in color representations of this type.

FIG. 1 shows the typical appearance of a plant.

FIG. 2 shows blotches at the petiole base and a petiole canal leaf.

FIG. 3 shows the shape of a leaf blade base (A) and leaf upper (B) andlower (C) surfaces.

FIG. 4A-B show water suckers (A) and leaves without blotches (B).

FIG. 5 shows a typical fruit bunch.

FIG. 6 shows a male bud.

FIG.7A-C shows bracts of a male bud.

FIG. 8A-C shows lobes of compound tepals (A and B) and a free tepal (C).

FIG. 9 shows stamens without pollen.

FIG. 10A-B shows the style shape (A) and an ovary (B).

FIG. 11 shows a typical male flower.

FIG. 12 shows rowed ovules.

FIG. 13 shows a typical fourth hand.

FIG. 14A-C shows the finger shape of a typical mature finger (A); atransverse section of fruit, mature pulp (B); and the fruit apex, maturepulp (C).

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following is a detailed botanical description of the new variety‘CQB 114’. The description is from plants located in Limon, Costa Ricathat were evaluated between 2013 and 2014. The Ratooning Index is fromdata collected in an experimental plot located in El Progreso, Honduras.Colors are described using Munsell Color Chart for Plant Tissues. Thedescriptions are in accordance with the internationally standardized“Descriptors for Banana (Musa spp.)” elaborated by IPGRI-INIBAP/CIRAD,1996.

The ‘CQB 114’ plant and its fruit may vary slightly from the detaileddescriptors shown below due to cultural practices, soil types andclimatic conditions under which the variety may be grown.

TABLE 1 Detailed descriptors 6.1 1 Leaf habit: drooping (FIG. 1) 6.1.2Dwarfism: dwarf type, leaves strongly overlapped and leaf ratio is 3.52(296/84 cm) 6.2.1 Pseudostem height: 3.0 m (4.40 to 5.40 m at flowering)6.2.2 Pseudostem aspect: robust (83.0 to 88.0 cm) 6.2.3 Pseudostemcolour: 2.5GY5/4 6.2.4 Pseudostem appearance: shinny (not waxy) 6.2.5Predominant underlying colour of the pseudostem: 2.5Y8/2 6.2.6Pigmentation of the underlying pseudostem: 5R4/6 6.2.7 Sap colour:Watery 6.2.8 Wax on leaf sheaths: very little or no visible sign of wax6.2.10 Development of suckers: more than 3/4 of the height of the parentplant 6.2.11 Position of suckers: close to parent growing (verticalgrowth) 6.3.1 Blotches at the petiole base: sparse blotching (FIG. 2)6.3.2 Blotches colour: dark brown 10R3/2 6.3.3 Petiole canal leaf III:wide with erect margins (FIG. 2) 6.3.4 Petiole margins: winged and notclasping the pseudostem (FIG. 2) 6.3.5 Wing type: dry 6.3.6 Petiolemargin colour: 5R6/8 with greenish 6.3.7 Edge of the petiole margin:colourless (without a colour line along) 6.3.8 Petiole margin width: <1cm 6.3.9 Leaf blade length: around 296.0 cm 6.3.10 Leaf blade width:around 84.0 cm 6.3.10.1 Leaf ratio: ≧3 (around 3.52) 6.3.11 Petiolelength: 73.0 cm 6.3.12 Colour of leaf upper surface: 7.5GY4/2 (FIG. 3B)6.3.13 Appearance of leaf upper surface: dull (FIG. 3B) 6.3.14 Colour ofthe leaf lower surface: 5GY5/4 (FIG. 3C) 6.3.15 Appearance of the leaflower surface: dull (FIG. 3C) 6.3.16 Wax on leaves: moderately waxy6.3.17 Insertion point of leave blades on petiole: asymmetric (FIG. 3A)6.3.18 Shape of leave blade: both sides rounded (FIG. 3A) 6.3.19 Leafcorrugation: even, smooth 6.3.20 Colour of midrib dorsal surface:2.5GY7/6 (FIG. 3B) 6.3.21 Colour of midrib ventral surface: between5GY5/6 (FIG. 3C) 6.3.22 Colour of cigar leaf dorsal surface: 2.5GY6/6(FIG. 4A) 6.3.23 Blotches on leaves of water suckers: without blotches(FIG. 4B) 6.4.1 Peduncle length: 47 cm 6.4.2 Empty nodes on peduncle: 16.4.3 Peduncle width: 25.5 cm 6.4.4 Peduncle colour: 5GY4/6 6.4.5Peduncle hairiness: very hairy, short hairs (similar to velvet touch)6.4.6 Bunch Position: hanging vertically (bunch ready for harvest) 6.4.7Bunch shape: Cylindrical (FIG. 5) 6.4.8 Bunch appearance: lax (one caneasily place one's hand between the hands of fruit) (FIG. 5) 6.4.9Flowers that form the fruit: female 6.4.10 Fruits: biseriate 6.4.11Rachis type: present and male bud may be degenerated or persistent (FIG.6) 6.4.12 Rachis position: falling vertically 6.4.13 Rachis appearance:neutral/male flowers on the whole stalk without persistent bracts 6.4.14Male bud type: normal present (FIG. 6) 6.4.15 Male bud shape: lanceolate(FIG. 6) 6.4.16 Male bud size: length 23.2 cm and diameter 28.2 cm (atthe widest section) 6.5.1 Bract base shape: large shoulder (FIG. 7A)6.5.2 Bract apex shape: intermediate (FIG. 7C) 6.5.3 Bract imbrication:young bracts slightly overlap (FIG. 6) 6.5.4 Color of bract externalface: 5R5/4 (FIG. 7A) 6.5.5 Colour of the bract internal face: 2.5Y8/6in the upper section and 2.5RY6/8 near of the apex (FIG. 7B) 6.5.6Colour on the bract apex: tinted with yellow 6.5.7 Colour stripes onbract: with discoloured lines on external face (FIG. 7A) 6.5.8 Bractscars on rachis: very prominent 6.5.9 Fading of colour on bract base:colour discontinuing towards the base (FIG. 7B) 6.5.10 Male bract shape:ovate x/y ≧ 0.28 (11.7/20 = 0.585) 6.5.11 Male bract lifting: liftingone at the time (FIG. 6) 6.5.12 Bract behavior before falling: revolute(rolling) (FIG. 6) 6.5 13 Wax on the bract: moderately waxy 6.5.14Presence of grooves on the bract: moderate grooving (parallel bridgesare distinguishable) 6.6.1 Male flower behavior: neutral/male flowerspersistent 6.6.2 Compound tepal basic colour: cream 2.5Y8/2 (FIG. 8A)6.6.3 Compound tepal pigmentation: very few or no visible sign ofpigmentation (FIG. 8A) 6.6.4 Lobe colour of compound tepal: 2.5Y7/10(FIG. 8B) 6.6.5 Lobe development of compound tepal: developed (FIG. 8B)6.6.6 Free tepal colour: translucent (FIG. 8C) 6.6.7 Free tepal shape:oval (FIG. 8C) 6.6.8 Free tepal appearance: several folding under apex(FIG. 8C) 6.6.9 Free tepal apex development: developed (FIG. 8C) 6.6.10Free tepal apex shape: thread-like (FIG. 8C) 6.6.11 Anther exertion:inserted (FIG. 8B) 6.6.12 Filament colour: white (FIG. 9) 6.6.13 Anthercolour: 2.5Y8/4 6.6.14 Pollen sac colour: 2.5Y7/4 6.6.16 Style basiccolour: white (FIG. 9) 6.6.17 Pigmentation on style: withoutpigmentation 6.6.18 Style exertion: inserted (FIG. 8B) 6.6.19 Styleshape: straight (FIG. 10A) 6.6.20 Stigma colour: 2.5Y8/4 (FIG. 10A)6.6.21 Ovary shape: slightly arched (FIG. 10B) 6.6.22 Ovary basiccolour: white (FIG. 10B) 6.6.23 Ovary pigmentation: very few or novisible sign of pigmentation (FIG. 10B) 6.6.24 Dominant colour of maleflower: cream (FIG. 11) 6.6.26 Arrangement of ovules: two rowed (FIG.12) 6.7.1 Fruit position: curved upward 45° or more 6.7.2 Number offruits: 16 fingers (FIG. 13) 6.7.3 Fruit length: 22.5 cm (FIG. 14A)6.7.4 Fruit shape: straight in the distal part (FIG. 14A) 6.7.5Transverse section of fruit: rounded (FIG. 14B) 6.7.6 Fruit apex:blunt-tipped (FIG. 14C) 6.7.7 Remains of flower relicts at fruit apex:base of the style prominent 6.7.8 Fruit pedicel length: 45 mm 6.7.9Fruit pedicel width: 11 mm 6.7.10 Pedicel surface: hairless 6.7.11Fusion of pedicels: very partially or no visible sign of fusion 6.7.12Immature fruit peel colour: 2.5GY8/6 (FIG. 13) 6.7.13 Mature fruit peelcolour: 2.5Y8/8 (FIG. 14) 6.7.14 Fruit peel thickness: 1 mm (FIG. 13)6.7.15 Adherence of the fruit peel: fruit peels easily 6.7.16 Crack infruit peel: cracked 6.7.17 Pulp in fruit: with pulp 6.7.18 Pulp colourbefore maturity: 2.5Y8/6 6.7.19 Pulp colour at maturity: cream 2.5Y8/4(FIG. 14C) 6.7.20 Fruit fall from hands: deciduous 6.7.21 Flesh texture:soft 6.7.22 Predominant taste: sweet and acid 6.7.23 Presence of seedswith source of pollen: no 6.7.24 Seed surface: not applicable 6.7.25Seed shape: not applicable

TABLE 2 Additional fruit, flowering, and harvest descriptors Days forplanting to first flowering: 286.75 Number of leaves at flowering: 13(first production cycle) Number of leaves at harvest: 8 (firstproduction cycle) Days from flowering until harvest: 84 (firstproduction cycle) Bunch weight (Kg): 19.54 (2^(nd) production cycle)Number of hands: 7 (2^(nd) production cycle) Finger diameter (1/32″): 14(2^(nd) hand, 2^(nd) production cycle) Ratooning from first to fourthproduction cycles: 223 days Index of ratooning: 1.64 (average from firstto fourth production cycle)

What is claimed is:
 1. A new and distinct banana plant having thecharacteristics substantially as described and illustrated herein.